A Wire Is Made by Pulling Metal Through a Hole
A wire is a thin flexible thread of metal. It is drawn rather than cut or rolled.
A wire is a thin flexible thread of metal. It is made by *drawing*: a rod is pulled through a hole slightly smaller than itself, then through a smaller one, repeatedly, until it reaches the required thickness. The metal stretches rather than being cut, which aligns its grain along the length and makes drawn wire notably stronger than a cut strand. *Wire* is Old English *wir*, from a root meaning to bend or plait, the same source as *withy*, a flexible willow shoot.
- Metal thread. *Copper wire.*
- To connect. *Wiring a house.*
- A telegram (archaic). *Send a wire.*
- Wireless. *Wireless.*
- Old English — *wir*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | wire | A wire. |
| Plural | wires | Wires. |
| Verb | wire | Wiring. |
| Adjective | wiry | Wiry. |
| Related | withy | A withy. |
- A length of copper wire.Material.
- Wire is drawn, not cut.Manufacture.
- Down to the wire.Idiom.
Wire phrases
- Down to the wire — from the finish wire in horse racing
- Get your wires crossed — from telephone exchanges
- Live wire — an energetic person
- Wired — tense or connected
- Under the wire — just in time
Old English *wir*, from a Germanic root meaning to bend or plait.
How is wire made?
By drawing: a rod is pulled repeatedly through successively smaller holes until it reaches the required thickness.
Why is drawn wire strong?
Because stretching aligns the metal's grain along its length rather than cutting across it.